Studies show that an increase in the consumption of dietary fiber can be beneficial to one's health in terms of decreasing the risk of developing some forms of cancer, decreasing the level of blood cholesterol and other like benefits. These studies have increased the demand for high-fiber foods as many individuals have begun adding high-fiber foods to their diet. In response to the increasing demand for high-fiber foods, food processors are increasing the fiber content of processed foods by adding high fiber supplements such as bran, citrus peels, apple pumace, sawdust, and the like. For various reasons, bran is by far the most commonly used fiber source.
Recent developments in the sugarbeet industry have added sugarbeet fiber to the list of high-fiber supplements which may be added to processed foods to increase their fiber content. Sugarbeet fiber can be processed to an aesthetically pleasing, odorless, off-white, bland, low calorie powder which is high in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and has good moisture retention.
The sugarbeet is a form of the common beet Beta Vulgaris which is commercially grown in large quantities and processed for its sugar content. While dependent upon the particular species and growing conditions, whole mature sugarbeets typically consist of about 70-80 wt-% water, 14-20 wt-% sugar, 1-2 wt-% pectin, and minor amounts of other components such as amino acids, minerals, etc. The portion of the sugarbeet remaining after commercial extraction of the sugar is known as sugarbeet pulp.
Until recently, sugarbeet pulp has generally been sold only as livestock feed. However, recent developments have resulted in sugarbeet pulp which may be sold as a human dietary food supplement. To achieve sugarbeet pulp fit for human consumption, it is necessary to process the sugarbeet pulp by removing impurities such as sand, soil, rocks and silt which are not typically removed during normal processing.
Sulfites, typically sulfur dioxide, are commonly used at various stages in sugarbeet processing to enhance the diffusion of sugar from the sugarbeet cossettes; to reduce the pH of the water in the diffuser and the pulp press in order to achieve optimum pulp pressing results; to reduce the number and activity of microorganisms in the system and to prevent oxidative discoloration of the cossettes and pulp.
Substantially all of the sulfite employed in the processing of sugarbeets is absorbed by and retained in the sugarbeet pulp while little sulfite is absorbed by and retained in the sugar containing juice. In the past, the utilization of sulfites in the processing of sugarbeets has not posed a problem as the sulfite-containing sugarbeet pulp was sold only as livestock feed while only the substantially sulfite-free extracted sugar was sold for human consumption. However, recent concerns over the possibility of adverse side effects created by the ingestion of sulfites has led to a dramatic decline in the use of sulfites on foods intended for human consumption and recent advances in the processing of sugarbeet pulp have resulted in sugarbeet pulp suitable for use as a high-fiber human dietary supplement.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method of producing sulfite-free sugarbeet pulp which maintains sufficient diffusion rates, sufficient pulp pressing results, a sufficient reduction in the growth of microorganisms and a sufficient prevention of sugarbeet pulp discoloration.